Enjoy this month's mysterious early wax cylinder recording performed by "Mrs. McCormick".
Based on its look, announcement, and the recording's sound qualities,
this record has all the hallmarks of an
early commercial recording from 1890.
Unfortunately, there are very few extant record company catalogs from this period,
and I have found no clues about the performer, Mrs. McCormick.
However, it does contain two distinct features of the earliest commercial recordings:
it was recorded on a "cuff"-sized cylinder blank which was seen primarily circa 1890 (3-5/8" long vs. 4-1/8" for standard length cylinders),
and it contains an individual announcement (where each wax blank was individually given an announcement one at a time prior to the performance).

The recording was adapted from a contemporay comic bit by the same name:

AN IRISHMAN'S PERPLEXITY.

Pat Murphy had been on a fishing excursion, and after returning to land, met one of his friends, who inquired of him what luck he had.